A deteriorating day with a dry start and the usual daily hill fog. Leeshaw was clear but very dark with full cloud on a cold SW>4 at 3 degrees. Rain moved in by 0945 hrs.
A real gull day this morning with around 300 mixed gulls in a distant field but very mobile and keeping at distance. Several more were on and around the water but no GBB present as yet but usually manage one or two around this time at this site.
A male and 2 female Goosander were on the water as well as 2 Cormorants and the usual Mallards, whilst around 50 Greylag and c40 Canadas geese plus the over-wintering Pink Footed Goose were in the big field along with a few Stock Doves.
A Dipper was down in the beck along with 2 Pied Wagtails and a Meadow Pipit.
A quick visit to the Sladen Valley to check Lower Laithe reservoir produced around 100 gulls and the long staying Red Necked Grebe which was diving continuous in among the gulls, but quite a distance out on the water.
On the way home I came over Soil Hill, due to a road closure, and found several Fieldfare, Redwing, Mistle Thrush and Starling in a field alongside Perseverance Road. Also a few Lapwing were in the ploughed field.
Tomorrow looks dry and bright if you can stand up in the strong gale force to storm force sou'westerly, gusting up to 60 m.p.h., which going by the Queensbury Beaufort scale reads off as , 'Nobbut a stiff breeze', and checking the 'Queensbury Housewife Guide' it shows as,
' A good drying day for t' weshing.
BS.